What to see in Molise: 10 unmissable places

Molise is located between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennines and is often called 'the green heart of Italy'.

This undiscovered region offers unspoilt landscapes, picturesque villages and an ancient history characterised by the encounter of different peoples and cultures.

Nature lovers in Molise will find lush forests, mountains and lakes where they can walk surrounded by wild and luxuriant nature.

Those who love the sea on the Adriatic coast will have a wide choice of sandy beaches and rocky coves where they can relax in the sun.

The millennial history of this territory and the passage of the Samnites, Romans, Lombards and Normans can be found in the towns, archaeological sites, castles and monuments of Molise.

Perched on the mountains or overlooking the sea, the villages of Molise retain their ancient charm and offer beautiful views.

Finally, we cannot forget the gastronomic delights of the region. Especially in autumn, several festivals with typical local products take place in Molise.

Don't miss the opportunity to taste Molise's excellent products and typical dishes!

Let's discover the unmissable places to see in Molise, a region to live slowly, immersed in its welcoming atmosphere.

Molise's main cities are easily reached by train, bus and car. The nearest airports are Pescara and Naples.

If you're arriving at Naples airport on a domestic or international flight and want to take the opportunity to also visit Naples, read our tips on how to explore it like a local.

Discover the benefits of the Naples Pass to know the best cultural attractions in the area.

Your trip to Molise begins with a splendid seaside resort: Termoli.

Several times rewarded with the prestigious recognition of the Blue Flag, the town offers its visitors high-quality tourist and hotel facilities but also a port that connects it directly to the beautiful Tremiti Islands. 

But Termoli also offers beauties of historical and artistic nature.

Its ancient village is not to be missed. There you can admire the majestic Swabian Castle, a true icon of the city.

Molise also offers spectacular natural landscapes: among these, the Montedimezzo Reserve, the undisputed queen of the Molise Apennines, is certainly not to be missed.

The Reserve is entirely covered with woods and stands out at a height of between 900 and 1300 meters. 

Here you can admire "the precious miracles" of flora such as the major ash, the hazel and the cherry tree.

You can also admire its variety of fauna: hares, wild boars, badgers, roe deer and martens.

These splendid pearls of nature have earned the Montedimezzo Reserve inclusion in the prestigious Unesco Mab program.

Among the most popular destinations of the ideal tour in Molise, there is Campitello Matese, small town majestically lying on the slopes of Monte Miletto, in the Molisano Apennines.

Campitello is renowned for its numerous and prestigious ski resorts which make it particularly sought after during the winter.

But the town of Molise also offers significant points of interest for nature lovers, with its pristine woods to cross in religious silence.

Campomarino is one of the richest places in history in the Molise region.

In fact, its origins are rooted in the eighteenth century BC. as evidenced by some ancient ruins.

Several times devastated by terrible barbarian invasions, Campomarino was later an important bulwark of the Norman and Lombard populations.

Today the town is very renowned for the beauty of its well-equipped beaches and for its splendid tree-lined avenue, dominated by centuries-old pine trees.

Obviously, your trip to Molise cannot be separated from a thorough visit to the regional capital, Campobasso.

The city, built at 700 m above sea level, offers picturesque landscapes and views and numerous important monuments.

Do not miss the Monforte Castle which dominates with its size the whole Molise city, the suggestive Romanesque church of San Bartolomeo, and the characteristic Museum of the Nativity scene, an interesting testimony of the ancient artisan tradition.

Furthermore, in the province of Campobasso, do not miss the charming villages of Oratino and Larino. 

Isernia is among the most important cities of the small and precious region: an ancient stronghold of the Samnites, the city has been able to resist the various disasters that it has had to suffer during its millennial history.

Plundered and vandalized by the Saracens in the Middle Ages, severely bombed during the Second World War, the city fortunately managed to retain part of its original core.

We can still admire, in fact, the Fraternal Fountain erected in honor of Celestino V and the beautiful Cathedral, remodeled several times, where the Byzantine icon of the Madonna of the light dominates.

The stages that we have described so far, we advise you to reach them using perhaps non-conventional, not very comfortable roads, but certainly of considerable historical interest.

We refer to the characteristic "tratturi", the ancient paths in beaten grass that cross the Molise far and wide.

Built already in pre-Roman times, the cattle tracks were "the theater of transhumance", or the regional transfer of cattle from the coast to the interior.

Follow these ancient roads, and let some modern shepherd guide you in your search for "the ancient spirit of Molise".

Another fundamental stop for lovers of Molise is Pietrabbondante, small town elegantly perched at the foot of Mount Caraceno, nestled between the "morge", a particular shape of rock, bare and pointed, typical of Upper Molise.

The beauties of nature frame the remains of an ancient and glorious history: in fact in Pietrabbondante you can admire the ancient megalithic walls and archaeological remains, a temple and a theater, of the Samnite civilization.

Among the unmissable places of your trip to Molise there is certainly Castel San Vincenzo, where History and Nature lovingly shake hands.

In fact, Castel San Vincenzo, on the one hand, offers the visitor the picturesque beauty of its medieval village and the ruins of the ancient Benedictine abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno.

On the other hand, he offers him the splendid natural spectacle of his lake.